Security card

ABSTRACT

A security card for use with electronic locks, accounting systems and other electrical identification and data processing systems comprising a plastic wallet-size card with a coded permutation circuit imbedded in the card. Terminals connected to the circuit are exposed through a window in at least one side of the card for mating with matching contacts in a receptacle at a remote station of a security system. The terminals are spaced from the inserting edge of the card a sufficient distance to avoid physical damage.

United States Patent Regan [4 1 June 27, 1972 [54] SECURITY CARD 3,093,994 6/1963 Richard "70/434 3,344,629 10/1967 Burney .....70/280 [72] 3,392,558 7/1968 Hedin ..70/277 [73] Assignee: Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe 1 7 {22] fi Aug l9 0 Attorney-TeagnodzToddy [21] Appl. No.: 63,717

[57] ABSTRACT US. Cl.

A ecurity card for use electronic locks accounting Int m l9/on systems and other electrical identification and data processing [58] Field of Search "70/277, 278, 393, DIG. 46; systems comprising a mastic wauebsiu card with a coded 340/149 A; 317/134; 339/17 R, 17 E, 17 F, 18 C, mutation circuit imbedded in the card. Terminals connected 19 to the circuit are exposed through a window in at least one I 7 side of the card for mating with matching contacts in a recep- [56] Rdemnccs Cited tacle at a remote station of a security system. The tenninals UNn-ED STATES PATENTS are spaced from the inserting edge of the card a sufficient distance to avoid physical damage. 3,433,888 3/1969 Tally ..17'4/68.5

Shelley ..339/ 17 F 7 Claims, 4 Drawing figures PATENTEDJUM 2 7 I972 INVENTOR JOHN F REGAN ATTORNEYS SECURITY CARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I Field of the Invention operating locking apparatus and other electrical security appa'ratus and more particularly to a security card having a coded electrical circuit imbedded in the card with the circuit contact terminal being located remote from the edges of the card to avoid physical damage to the terminals.

2. Description of the Prior Art Various types of cards for operating electrical door locks and other electrical security apparatus are known in the prior art. However, these cards have been subject to failure in operation due to locating the contact terminal surfaces on the edge of the card first entering the door lock receptacle. It has been found persons utilizing such security cards use them for many other applications foreign to their intended purpose. Many of these uses are destructive to the edge of the card. For example, it is found there is a tendency to use the card during winter months as a scraper for ice and snow removal on windshields of automobiles. It can be appreciated such abusive use is damaging to the edge surfaces of the cards, hence, contact terminals located at the card edges are also damaged and rendered inoperable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As a feature of the present invention, a security card is equipped with contact surfaces or terminals that are located at a position removed from the card edge surfaces. In the preferred embodiment, the card is a plastic laminate having an electrically insulative substrate with an outer covering bonded to each side of the substrate. The card is intended to be flat, thin and wallet size or smaller to readily fit into a purse or suit pocket. At least one of the outer coverings has an opening or window through which contact surfaces of an electrical circuit are exposed. Both outer coverings may be formed with a window to have more contact surfaces exposed for increasing the circuit paths of the'card.

The security card of v the present invention can serve a variety of uses with electrical apparatus other than electrically operated locks. For example the card may be used for electronic identification and credit systems for recording and performing accounting functions in retail sales transactions. The card substrate has a plurality of separate electrical printed circuit paths, formed thereon to define a binary permutation code which distinguishes that card. The circuits have contact surfaces as stated above which engage corresponding contacts upon inserting the card in a receptacle of an electrical security system. The contact-surfaces will transmit the code electrically to decoding circuitry and associated logic circuitry for performing desired functions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved security card having a large number of code combinations for operating an electrical lock or other security system.

Another object is to provide a security card wherein the contact surfaces of an electrical circuit imbedded on the card are at a position removed from the edge portions of the card for avoiding physical damage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of the security card of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, in FIG. 1 there is generally indicated a security card 10 of the present invention for use with an electrically operable door lock or other security system.

The card comprises a rectangular planar substrate 11 base of heavy or stiff plastic material such as epoxy-glass or other suitable electrically insulative material well known in the art. Substrate 11 is placed in close fitting relationship in a rectangular opening of a filler 19 near the front edge of the card 10. Bonded to the substrate 11 and filler 19 are outer layers 12 of plastic material such as vinyl, which, together with the substrate 11 and filler l9, fonnalaminate. The filler is preferably the same material as outer layers 12, but may be of other suitable material. It is conceivable that the filler I9 may be omitted and substrate 1 1 would then have the same overall dimensions as the total security card 10. Typically, the security card 10 is rectangular in shape and wallet size or smaller but may be of other shapes and sizes.

Imbedded between each of the outer layers 12 and substrate 1 1 are electrical conductors 13 or strips. As shown, these conductors may comprise a binary code permutation or circuit like that shown in the earlier patent to Hedin and Balzano, U.S. Pat. No. 3,392,558. Thus, the conductors 13 are positioned in spaced parallel rows extending longitudinally on the substrate 1 l as shown in FIG. 1. Connected to one end of each conductor 13 is a junction conductor or bus 14 which is posi tioned transversely to conductors 13. Both conductors 13 and bus 14 can be formed on the substrate 1 l by any suitable means such as by printed circuit plating methods, thin film photo resist methods or by merely bonding a stamping of the desired shape on the card substrate 1 l. The conductors have a contact surface 15 portion for mating with matching contacts when the card is inserted in a receptacle (not shown) of a security system. Conductors 13 may be formed with a narrow portion 16 between contact surface 15 and bus 14. The narrow portion 16 is fusible upon application of a sufficient electrical current thereto, but the current would be limited so as not to destroy the associated wider portion of conductor 13. A binary code permutation of open and closed electrical circuit paths is thus provided by fusing or melting open circuits of selected narrow portions 16 to disconnect the electrical circuit path in conductors 13 between contact surfaces 15 and bus 14 such as shown at 17 in FIG. 1. After fusing selected narrow portions. 16, the resultant permutation code would be determined by the arrangement of non-fused conductors I3.

and fused or disconnected conductors I8..Security card 10 thus displays a permanent memory means that can be set to a particular binary code permutation that may be sensed by appropriate security apparatus. Typical security apparatus for utilizing the security card 10 of this invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,013 to R. A Hedin et al.

In FIG. 3 it is shown the binary perrnuation 'code conductors 13 may be placed on both sides of substrate 11, however, only one side may be used if desired. It can be appreciated the number of code combinations possible is greatly increased by utilizing both sides of security card 10.

The outer layers 12 or covering as shown in the drawing have a small rectangular opening 26 formed therein. The opening 26 is of sufficient size to expose contact surfaces 15, as in card 1, to permit electrical connection with matching contacts when the card is inserted in a receptacle of security apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of Outer layers 12 overlap the junction of substrate 11 and filler 19 and are bonded to each to provide structural support for the security card 10. Further, the material of the outer layers 12 is opaque and overlaps the electrical conductor narrow portions 16 as at 27 in FIG. 3 to concealthe binary code of the card from visual detection.

Thus, from the description above, it can be seen there is provided a security card 10 having contact surfaces 15 which are positioned removed from the card edge surfaces and are protected from abuses which the edge surfaces are subjected to.

Although one or more preferred embodiments of the invention have been herein described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications of the structure and arrangement of parts disclosed may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A security card for inserting in a receptacle of electrical apparatus whereby to initiate an electrical function, comprism it planar substantially rigid substrate,

an outer layer of substantially rigid material bonded to said substrate and extending on opposed end portions of the card,

a plurality of electrical circuit conductors intermediate the substantially rigid substrate and the outer layer of substantially rigid material,

said outer layer having an opening formed at a medial position therethrough,

means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors in a predetermined manner for enabling said conductors to convey a predetermined coded permutation of signals to the receptacle upon insertion of the card therein, said means interconnecting said plurality of conductors being located between said planar rigid substrate and said outer layer in a position adjacent said opening and obscured by said outer layer,

and said conductors having contact portions, said contact portions lying in said outer layer opening and exposed for engaging the receptacle, said contact portions thereby being removed from pressures that may injure end portions of the card.

2. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit conductors comprise a printed circuit on said substrate.

3. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein small portions of the edges of said substrate are bonded to said outer layer and the medial portion of said substrate is circumscribed by said opening in said outer layer.

4. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit conductors have coding portions connected to said means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors, and said outer layer is opaque and overlaps said coding portions thereby visually concealing said coding portions and said means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors.

5. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein there are contact portions and an outer layer having an opening exposing said contact portions on each face of said substrate.

6. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said conductors are spaced from all edges of said card. 1

7. A security card as defined in claim 6 wherein said contact portions are parallel strips. 

1. A security card for inserting in a receptacle of electrical apparatus whereby to initiate an electrical function, comprising a planar substantially rigid substrate, an outer layer of substantially rigid material bonded to said substrate and extending on opposed end portions of the card, a plurality of electrical circuit conductors intermediate the substantially rigid substrate and the outer layer of substantially rigid material, said outer layer having an opening formed at a medial position therethrough, means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors in a predetermined manner for enabling said conductors to convey a predetermined coded permutation of signals to the receptacle upon insertion of the card therein, said means interconnecting said plurality of conductors being located between said planar rigid substrate and said outer layer in a position adjacent said opening and obscured by said outer layer, and said conductors having contact portions, said contact portions lying in said outer layer opening and exposed for engaging the receptacle, said contact portions thereby being removed from pressures that may injure end portions of the card.
 2. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit conductors comprise a printed circuit on said substrate.
 3. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein small portions of the edges of said substrate are bonded to said outer layer and the medial portion of said substrate is circumscribed by said opening in said outer layer.
 4. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical circuit conductors have coding portions connected to said means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors, and said outer layer is opaque and overlaps said coding portions thereby visually concealing said coding portions and said means interconnecting said plurality of electrical circuit conductors.
 5. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein there are contact portions and an outer layer having an opening exposing said contact portions on each face of said substrate.
 6. A security card as defined in claim 1 wherein said conductors are spaced from all edges of said card.
 7. A security card as defined in claim 6 wherein said contact portions are parallel strips. 